In this blog the co-Chairs Kevin Farquharson and Steve Beecroft we will be updating you on all things smart card, relating to local authority implementations and of course seeking your input and comment too. So…….why not help shape the future of smart card projects across the sector and contribute with your comments and share your experiences? Your input and feedback is critical to the ongoing success of the Forum.

Wednesday, 31 July 2013

Manchester’s new smart ticketing will ‘get you there’

THE NEW smart ticketing scheme for the Greater Manchester area will be called get me there.

The name has been chosen to reflect how the combination of ITSO-compliant smart ticketing with the option to use contactless bankcards on Metrolink will make journeys by public transport easier, more accessible and more flexible, whether by tram, bus, train – or any combination of the three.

The Government, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and its local partners, including major transport operators Arriva, First and Stagecoach, are investing several million pounds in the scheme. The objective is that the ticketing system should keep up to date with the latest technology and provide an integrated system that in the future could be linked in to real time information: That way journeys could be planned and paid for ‘on the hoof’ using a smartphone or smartcard.